WWE composer Jim Johnston's 10 favorite entrance themes

Back in 1974, pop music artist Kiki Dee released the hit single ?I?ve Got the Music in Me.? The title of that song came to mind while talking to the man who has been credited with composing entrance themes for WWE Superstars for nearly three decades, Jim Johnston. We at WWE Classics wanted to find out what goes into creating a Superstar?s music, so we visited Johnston in his expansive Stamford, Conn., studios. Sitting comfortably around countless guitars, massive amplifiers and a grand piano, the musician revealed that his compositions always begin with a blank page.

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?I?m relatively uninformed. A lot of times, I?m told there?s a new Superstar, and their name is ?blank,? ? Johnson explained. ?After that, it gets kind of sketchy, so I ask for some footage of the talent so at least I can see how they move. That?s always the starting point for me. A talent?s size and appearance go a long way to determining what I need to produce.?

Somewhat surprisingly, a Superstar?s persona is not a vital ingredient for Johnson?s creations.

?I think it?s good that I don?t get too much information, because it could easily take me in the wrong direction,? Johnson said. ?I try to react to what I see. I look at the footage and think, ?What?s this person really like?? If I feel something, I try to draw that out in composing their music.?

The one thing that Johnston rarely gets is input from the Superstars themselves.

?It can really confuse the issue,? he admitted. ?Many times a Superstar will tell me what kind of music they like to listen to, but that has nothing to do with what would be a good theme for them. I sort of approach it like a movie. These themes are a soundtrack to the movie of this person. It really has to do with the story.?

And after all these years, Johnston still finds composing Superstars? themes challenging. Sometimes the formation can be obvious, while other times it?s like figuring out the solution for a Rubik?s Cube.

?The whole process of composing is a mystery. I don?t really know where it comes from,? Johnson said. ?Sometimes I?ll sit down and something just shows up. As an example, ?Stone Cold? Steve Austin?s theme came really fast. I just picked up a guitar and played that groove. Very easy. It?s most difficult to me when an individual doesn?t have a lot of personality.?

Having learned a little about Jim Johnston?s craft, WWE Classics asked the musician to compose a list of his 10 favorite WWE Superstar themes. Needles to say, this was a very challenging proposition for him, to where the following themes (to name a few) made his ?honorable mention? list:

?S.O.S.? (Kofi Kingston)

?Here Comes The Money? (Shane McMahon)

?Girls In Cars? (Strike Force)

Gangrel/The Brood Theme

Dude Love Theme

And now, in no particular order, here are Jim Johnston?s 10 favorite entrance themes. These songs should be played loud.

Source: http://www.wwe.com/classics/classic-lists/jim-johnston-10-favorite-themes

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